LONDON — Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday called on Ukraine to accept a U.S. peace proposal that closely aligns with long-standing Russian goals, including a “freeze” of territorial lines in the three-year war, acceptance of the annexation of Crimea by Russia and a prohibition on Ukraine becoming part of the NATO alliance.

It was the first time a U.S. official had publicly laid out a plan to end the war that favors Russia in such stark terms.

A peace plan that leaves Russian forces deep inside eastern Ukraine would be welcome news in Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has said for almost a year that he would accept a ceasefire in which Ukraine withdraws troops from the four regions that Russia has claimed as its own and drops its aspirations to join NATO.

The comments by the vice president appeared designed to increase pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who has long refused to accept Russian’s occupation of his country’s lands, including the seizure of Crimea in 2014 and territory taken by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in early 2022.

In a second blow to Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump lashed out at the Ukrainian president Wednesday afternoon, writing on Truth Social, his social media site, that “he can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years.”

Vance, speaking during a trip to India, said the United States would “walk away” from the peace process if both Ukraine and Russia refused to accept the U.S. terms. But Zelenskyy was clearly the target.

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance told reporters.

“The only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing and to get on with the business of actually building a better Russia and a better Ukraine.”

The vice president’s comments came just hours after Zelenskyy said his country will never accept Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea as legal, adding that doing so would violate Ukraine’s constitution. He also said Ukraine could not accept any prohibition against becoming part of NATO.

“There is nothing to talk about. This violates our constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told reporters at a news conference.

On Wednesday afternoon, Yulia Svyrydenko, the Ukrainian economy minister, also vowed that her country “will never recognize the occupation of Crimea.” Writing on the social platform X, she said “Ukraine is ready to negotiate — but not to surrender. There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence.”

In his statement, Trump accused Zelenskyy of making “inflammatory” statements that he claimed would prolong the war.